


Vivian's Speech

by DaireneCallahan



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:23:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23909164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaireneCallahan/pseuds/DaireneCallahan
Summary: A fanfiction closely based on the fanfiction "I'm Alone" by AmbroseVox, but Vivian is more restrained, in... better mental shape, at least in the beginning, so the confrontation occurs much later and much differently.





	1. Disaster

Vivian sympathized with her friends and the Insurrectionists they wished to join. She had always been interested in any history that could be researched, and with the Insurrection ongoing, there was plenty of information on it.

The Colonial Administration Authority had made life in the Outer Colonies' a living hell. No person, no matter their beliefs, Vivian thought, should have to carry the weight of ridiculous regulations and apathetic authority on their shoulders.

She disapproved of violence, but after the protests and negotiations failed, what other option did they have? Once could sit there and take it, or fight back. She believed in freedom and independence. And history had proved that peoples and nations had often achieved those goals through war, usually followed by lengthy peace processes. And more often than not, these underdogs won in some way. Wouldn't it be ideal to join them, follow their strategies, and live in undoctored freedom where there was a chance annhilation would give them a pass? And at the end of the day, she couldn't bear to be separated forever from her friends.

Vivian Waters opened her eyes and sighed, causing the her friends to quiet themselves. She looked at every one of her friends, five girls she had known since she was a toddler, that she had grown up with. They each stared back at her with hopeful and expectant eyes. She took a deep breath.

"Alright, fine." Vivian managed reluctantly.

Her friends' bright faces expressed relief and exhilaration.

"Glad to see you're finally on board," Joanna cheered, patting her on the back. "The UNSC can't win. At least we can survive if we go with the Insurrectionists."

Vivian was less jubilant. "I hope we're doing the right thing. I know I'm not a soldier, but if I was, I know I'd be behind the fight for freedom and independence. But I won't be target innocent people, their property, and their necessities just because they are under a different flag."

"Viv, normal people wouldn't get hurt," Willow assured.

"I hope your rebel friends feel the same," Vivian sighed, hoping she wouldn't come to regret this decision. "But I guess the UNSC is no better..." Her thoughts floated to the nuclear destruction of Far Isle. "I suppose at the end of the day we have to chose a side, no matter how much I don't want to."

"Better than staying in the middle your whole life," Rosanne murmured.

"Though, at the jist of it, I'm doing this for you guys," Vivian asserted her position defiantly. "Not for some high-flouted politics. We've been together forever, done everything together. I just can't imagine going on without you guys."

"And I can't imagine leaving you behind," Carla vowed.

"I don't want to leave my family behind. And I don't want you to leave your families behind, especially at a time like this," Vivian replied somberly. "But I love you guys. If you're hell-bent on going, I'll come too. We did promise to stay together forever."

"Yes, we did," Rosanne asserted, grasping Vivian's hand. "Together forever."

Before the others could join the embrace, there was a click, and the apartment door flew open, slamming against the wall. The six teens jumped up, gasping at the tall man wearing ballistic armor and a balaclava.

The others tensed, while Vivian stood in confusion.

"Ward, what's wrong?" Joanna demanded. "Why'd you barge in here? I thought you were keeping watch...?"

"That's why I'm here. Sympathizers in Lionel City whispered. The UNSC is sending a strike force here! They must've gotten wind of our meeting!"

"How?!" Carla snapped.

"Probably a leak higher up. Doesn't matter- I brought you these."

Vivian noticed the man- Ward- was holding a small crate, which he set on the table. From it, he procured five M6 pistols, which Vivian recognized instantly, for her parents had the same sidearms they had been allowed to keep after discharge. "Sorry... I've only got five..." He looked apologetically at Vivian. "Didn't realize you'd be here.

Her friends had paled.

"It's just in case. I doubt you'll have to use them. The UNSC pigs usually take their sweet time setting up a raid. I'll escort you to the safe zone outside of town, and get you back to your homes, alright? Just arm up and take a couple magazines- as a precaution, of course."

Everyone hesitated as Ward stared at each of Vivian's friends expectantly.

Surprisingly, Joanna, usually the most passive yet the wisest, picked up one of the handguns first. "You've never done wrong by us, Ward. You heard him, girls."

All the others, except Vivian, took up arms, as did Ward himself.

Vivian was scared- growing uneasiness bubbling up inside her at the UNSC presence. She most definitely didn't want to be taken prisoner. Now it was up to their new Insurrectionist comrades to get her and her friends out of this mess.

Ward walked over to one of the windows. The shades had been pulled down to conceal the few lights that had been on during the meeting.

"Okay," Ward stated. "I can see some of the other groups starting to leave their positions. I think we should wait thirty seconds to give them a little space, and then follow after. How does that sound?"

The other girls were fumbling to get their ammunition magazines for their new weapons into their tight pockets, ill-designed for this.

In desperation, Vivian went to grab a kitchen knife, so she wouldn't feel so unarmed, so vulnerable and helpless, even as she knew how futile it would be against modern weapons.

Suddenly, the glass shattered, along with a fleshy thump sound, and Ward was thrown off his feet, falling on top of the coffee table.

Vivian was frozen in place as she heard the loud report of a long-range rifle and saw blood ooze from the gaping hole in Ward's chest.

"Oh my god," Willow muttered.

The sound of gunfire broke the silence of the night, followed a mere moment after by terrified screaming and harsh military voices barking commands.

"Shit! They're already here," Carla pulled one of the curtains back, and Vivian caught a glimpse of yellow flashes dashing through the darkness.

Rosanne picked up Ward's pistol, grabbed Vivian by the shoulders, pulled her into the kitchen, and opened the tall pantry beside the fridge. There was just enough space for a person to sit there with the door closed.

"Wait, Rosanne-"

"Shut up, Viv," Rosanne growled as she roughly shoved Vivian inside, and shoved Ward's pistol into her hand. "Shut up and listen to me! Do not get out of there until the noise dies down, or at least moves away. No matter what happens, do not get out of there until you're positive they're far enough away. And don't use the pistol unless you absolutely have to, unless they're breaking in! You have to survive, no matter what! Okay?"

Vivian nodded dumbly, her hair falling loosely arround her horrified face.

"It'll be okay, Viv," Joanna smiled sadly, a look of resignation on her face.

"D- Do you hear that? They're coming up the steps! What do we do?!" Willow hissed.

"And don't forget us! Never forget!" Rosanne pushed Vivian into a sitting position and shut the pantry door.

"Shut off the lights!" Andrea whispered, and the apartment fell dark.

The pantry door had slats in the center, running from top to bottom, just large enough to peer through. Despite her friends being shadows in the dark, Vivian knew who was where- she was all to familiar with their figures.

Willow had her ear pressed to the locked door, Joanna stood at the back of the living room, close to Ward's body, while Andrea and Carla were to the left of the kitchen table across from the pantry. Rosanne was swiping a knfe from the table.

Aside from the bulletstorm outside, the only other sounds were booted feet marching up the apartment steps. Their apartment was on the seventh floor, at the very top. Vivian heard doors been smashed one by one, followed by desperate pleas or defiant shouts, followed by gunfire and screams of pain. The cacophony crescandoed slowly, as the entire building shook.

Vivian squeezed her eyes shut, hugging her knees close to her chest, hands tightly clenching the pistol and her kitchen knife.

Then the door burst open and struck Willow. Vivian saw her stumble from the impact and hit the wall behind her, and a bright white light suddenly illuminated her. Vivian could see her fear-filled face perfectly. Willow was still recovering from the impact, her face was filled with fear. Her eyes were wide, her teeth clenched. She was shaking, her hair was loose and starting to fall over her face.

Bright yellow flashes erupted from an assault rifle, and rounds struck Willow, bloodying her torso. Her body slid down the wall, hit the floor, and crumpled to the side.

The assailant, which Vivian glimpsed as wearing ballistic armor over camoflauge fatigues, darted into the room, assault rifle raised. The attached tactical light swung onto Joanna and began firing. The burst of bullets buried themselves in Joanna's gut, tearing her open. She let out a cry of shock and agony, before doubling over in a pool of blood and entrails.

"Murderer!" Carla screamed in horror.

The attacker swung his rifle from left to right, emptying his entire clip into the kitchen. Bullets tore into the wooden cupboards, sliced metal surfaces, shattered cups. Rounds even flew through the pantry door, right over her head, raining splinters down on her.

Roseanne, Andrea, and Carla were riddled with bullets right in front of Vivian's eyes. Blood and bits of flesh flew from their bodies, which shuddered from impact after impact, before they all collapsed to the floor.

Silence finally set in as the soldier ran out of ammunition.

It was all over in less than fifteen seconds.

Vivian wondered for a moment if she had died, if one of the bullets had landed in her brain or her heart. She realied after a few seconds that she was indeed alive, and that she could not begin to comprehend what had just befallen her dearest friends.

"Ah, Jesus, Jesus Christ..." She heard the killer murmur to himself.

The room was dark once more, but the silence was interrupted.

There was a moan in front of her, and Vivian realized Roseanne was still alive. She heard the UNSC Marine slowly make his way over to her, reloading his rifle. His leather booths crunched over glass and shards of wood.

Finally he stood over Roseanne, who was an undetailed, black form in Vivian's vision, until the marine flicked on his tactical light.

Roseanne was revealed, her clothes stained red, blood flowing from severl large, dark red pulsing holes in her body.

The Marine still remained shrouded in darkness. He detached the light and slung his rifle over his shoulder, keeping the light trained on Roseanne as his free hand reached for his back pocket.

Roseanne grabbed her pistol quickly and trained the weapon at the man's face. But he was faster, snatching her wrist and pointing it upwards as the gun fired. Roseanne groaned in pain.

"Almost got me. You're pretty good," The Marine commented.

"Murderer..." Roseanne spat, coughing up blood.

Vivian suppressed a gasp as Roseanne lurched forward with a cry, brandishing the knife she'd grabbed off the table.

The Marine grabbed her wrist with lightning reflexes before the blade could slice his throat. The tactical light tumbled, and in that instant, Vivian saw his combat knife flash and disappear.

There was a sickening sound of metal sinking into flesh, before the Marine picked up the light once more. He'd driven his blade into Roseanne's neck, up to the hilt. The dying girl's arms fell limply to her side and she spasmed in her death throes for a few moments before finally falling still.

Vivian watched the Marine extract his knife, turn off his light, and step away. Another pair of booted feet walked into the room.

"How many?" The second soldier asked.

"Five. Five girls with pistols," The first soldier answered. He let out a deep breath. "Fuck, the last one nearly cut my throat. I had to kill her with my, my, uh..." He waved his combat knife.

"Sure," The second soldier shrugged. "What did ya expect from this lot? How'd you get that close anyways?"

"I was- I was trying to... I was..."

"Easy, easy. Never mind."

The second soldier put an arm around the first soldier's shoulders for a few moments, before parting. They stood quietly, though the first sheathed his knife. Then the second moved about, examining the bodies with his helmet light.

"Christ man, ya going to cut them up now?"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You heard me! You gonna slice and dice them up and send a kidney to the local inspector?" The second man laughed at what he had said.

"If that's a joke, I'm not following it, and that's pretty sick," The first replied.

"Aw, come on, don't you study history? Ain't ya heard of Jack the Ripper? Killed five girls in London all the way back in the 19th century. Never caught them either. Ain't that something?"

"Yeah," The first one said, not sounding nearly as amused as his partner.

The second laughed a bit more and clapped a hand on his companion's shoulder pauldron. "Well, I just met myself a new Jack the Ripper!"

"I'm still not gonna butcher their bodies if you think you'll get a laught out of it." His voice replied stiffly, somewhat bemused-sounding.

"Not even a kidney, Frost?"

"Come on, let's move out."

Their steps headed toward the door, but their chatter didn't end.

"Time to disappear into a dark alley, eh?"

"Quiet."

More laughter from the seond. "We should get you a top hat."

"Stop it."

"Maybe a gentleman's cape or cloak from those days!"

"Enough, man."

"Ooh, why don't we find some red marker pens and write a new letter to the inspector?"

"Shut up!"

The laughter and bickering faded, as did the sounds of shooting. The merciless UNSC force moved off, chasing down the few surviving rebels and sympathizers that had managed to flee with their lives.

Vivian sat for what seemed like an eternity, trembling as tears ran down her cheeks. Her eyes were still wide with fear, her hands still gripped tightly around her unused weapons. She did not want to lay eyes upon her dead friends, she didn't want to step over their mangled bodies, in their pools of blood. No, no, she couldn't do it. She didn't want to.

She simply didn't want to believe they were gone. She begged with God, with all things good, with every cosmic deity and entity she knew. Vivian pleaded and prayed that it was all a horrible dream, that she'd wake up and go to school the next day, and see their smiling, glowing faces.

Yet, every time she grew close to convincing herself it was just a dream, she opened her eyes and saw the shadows of her dead friends, smelled their torn flesh and the smoke of gunfire.

Twelve years. Twelve years of friendship, care, support, and loyalty, destroyed in mere seconds. They were dead.

Their- her- short-lived attempt to join the Insurrection ending in a catastrophic nightmare. They had been Insurrectionists for all of ten minutes. Why did she survive? Why her? Why did everyone else have to die? She knew she would probably never get an answer.

Vivian buried her face into her knees, wanting to sob and scream and vomit, but not being able to bring herself to do any of it. Tears continued to silently roll down her cheeks as her mind latched onto the last thing Rosanne had said to her.

Vivian rocked back and forth, repeating those two words in her head. Never forget. Never forget. Never forget. Never forget. Never forget.


	2. The Incident

Battle to liberate Covenant-invaded planet…

Vivian sighed as she watched Holst and Hayes arguing about Holst's plan to use the captured civilian thief, Adley to plant the targeting beacon near the Covenant camp.

Then, an idea came to Vivian just then. "We send one man with him. Someone who can move quickly and quietly. Have Adley lead him there and destroy the target with a focused, non-HEI barrage."

"One man?" Holst echoed. He thought for a moment and shrugged. "Fine with me. Least exposure to our troops and two men have a better chance of sneaking through the ridge than an entire team. The fleet can remain on the defensive, we don't have to use the birds, and the artillery barrage will knock out their heavy equipment. If we use standard rounds, we have a higher chance of preventing a forest fire from breaking out, and it will limit destruction to a relatively small cordon of the ridge area."

Hayes scratched his jaw uncomfortably. He sighed heavily. "That's asking a lot of one man," he said quietly.

Holst gave him a curious look.

The Colonel met his gaze. "You believe in karma?"

"Hell no."

"Well I do. And I don't fancy picking one of my men for a two-man op this close to Christmas Eve; it's tomorrow."

The ODST laughed loudly. "No disrespect Colonel, but who cares? You and I have fought on plenty of holidays before. What's the big deal? Who was paying attention to their calendar anyways? I didn't even know it was the twenty-third today."

"We'll ask for volunteers, first among the Vanguard marines, then among the ODSTs," Vivian stated, ignoring the colonel and major's ridiculous debate. She stood up. "And I will do it."

Hayes nodded gratefully, but still appeared apprehensive. "One man ops break every rule in the book, Captain Waters. Sending a team may decrease stealth but there's a higher chance the objective will be completed. A civilian, a criminal at that, can't be relied upon in combat."

Holst rolled his eyes. "Colonel, you know as well as I do, the UNSC sends personnel on one-man and two-man ops all the time. ONI agents, ODSTs, special forces, and Pathfinders, even your ragged-ass Marines. And from what I've gathered, your jarheads do just fine on their own."

Hayes grumbled something under his breath but sighed in resignation.

With a nod, Vivian got up. "I do have one request, Colonel Hayes. That Sergeant Frost not be allowed to volunteer. I do not doubt his abilities, but I am not going to risk the head of the Vanguard on such a mission. If anything were to happen, it would be a blow to the morale of his troops. And even if he were to return successfully, I would rather he is rested and in shape in the event of further Covenant assaults."

Hayes looked as if he was going to protest on instinct, but thought better of it. "Fair enough. Understood, Captain."

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Frost grumbled as he sat down in frustration. It didn't suit him well that one of his men had to risk their lives to raid the ridge- and that Captain Waters had deliberately excluded him from the operation. He couldn't argue with her rationale, but it still didn't sit well with him.

There was something about the Captain, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. The way she practically radiated hostility at him, the way she gave looks of disgust his way when she thought he wasn't looking.

"Hey, how are you holding up? Captain Waters did say she wanted you get some rest, right?" Colonel Hayes walked in.

"With all due respect, sir, I can't sleep knowing one of my men is out there. Alone- with a criminal."

"An Insurrectionist too," Hayes stated quietly, his eyes narrowing angrily. "We should've put a bullet in him the first chance we got. But Captain Waters insisted, and Holst took her side as usual."

"We're relying on an Innie?!" Frost exclaimed, his eyes widening. Apparently, he hadn't gotten that part of the memo. "Sir!"

"He was part of a terrorist cell on the planet until it got disbanded. Managed to slip away," Hayes sighed in disgust. "Instead of shooting him, Holst looped the lying bastard into this operation. Waters even promised to give him supplies- our supplies- when he comes back."

Frost clenched his fists, more worried than before. As far as he could see, the rebel would backstab his Marine in a heartbeat given the opportunity.

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

The prisoner, Adley, was being released with all the supplies Vivian had promised him. Vivian had also offered him a lift back to his farm in a Falcon or Warthog. He had declined, however.

Now she stood with Major Holst, Captain De Vos, several ODSTs, Colonel Hayes, several of his officers, as well as several enlisted Marines, including Sergeant Frost, and Carris.

After handing Adley food parcels and medicine, she said, "We can send a medical flight to your home, bring them here for treatment."

"No, no. This will do just fine."

"You sure you don't want some kind of transport, Mr. Adley?"

"I'm sure, Captain." He said. Still rather dirty from his mission, he wiped his free hand on the new jacket he'd been given, and extended it to her.

Vivian took it.

"I should have come to you not as a thief, but to warn you of the danger. I was wrong to try and take these."

"A man who does anything for his family is no criminal in my book," Vivian assured. "Next time, though, come to us for care. Stealing will only aggravate old soldiers like these." She gestured to the grizzled Marine officers.

Adley laughed a little. "Goodbye, Captain Waters."

"Goodbye, Mr. Adley. Take care of yourself."

"I will. And the same to you all."

Vivian nodded.

Adley bowed his head briefly, and began walking away, over the bridge to the grassland beyond.

As Vivian turned away to head back to the airfield, Colonel Hayes stepped by her. He had a pistol in hand- and was aiming it toward Adley.

"No!" Vivian cried, turning and shoving the colonel. The pistol fired as the two tumbled off the bridge and into the trench.

Vivian immediately stood up and looked over the threshold.

Adley had been shot in the shoulder; he was clutching the wound. Blood leaked from between his fingers. He looked back at the line with mixture of shock and horror.

With a look of fury and disgust, Sergeant Frost raised his rifle as well, following his commanding officer's lead.

Realizing his intention, Carris instantly put herself between the Marine and his target. "Don't do it." She warned.

"Run, Adley! Run!" She screamed at him.

Adley fled, moving as fast as he could into the grass.

Vivian turned to Hayes, as he stood back up and picked up his sidearm. Storming over in anger, she punched him squarely in the face and grabbed him by the collar. "What do you think you're doing?! We made a deal with that man!"

He was about to speak when she heard a series of metallic clicks.

Vivian looked up.

The Marine officers had drawn their sidearms in an instant. The enlisted looked more reluctant, but they were gradually raising their rifles as well.

"Let go of the Colonel, Captain Waters," one of the Marine officers demanded menacingly.

"Put your weapons down now, if you don't want a bullet in your skull," Holst warned, as he and the ODSTs raised their own guns, as did Carris.

Some of the Marines turned to face them in response. Only De Vos hadn't drawn her weapon.

"Everyone, stand down! We're all on the same side here!" Vivian commanded. Then she slowly looked back at Hayes, who wrenched his collar from her grasp.

"I didn't make a deal with him. You did, Captain."

"What makes you think you have the right to shoot a man who aided the UNSC to defeat the Covenant?!"

"Because he was a thief and a rebel. And you just rewarded him. All rebels must die, Waters."

"An ex-rebel," Vivian reminded, as painful memories of her past swam in her mind. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

"Once a rebel, always a rebel. I never understood why the UNSC allowed so many rebels to escape and blend into civilian life, or even defeat to the UNSC. They deserve no mercy. We should have killed them all."

"I should have you arrested for this!"

"Just try it!" Hayes replied with a sinister grin gracing his face. "Let's see what kind of argument you pose when you take the side of an Insurrectionist criminal! We don't make deals with criminals and traitors!"

Hayes looked to his troops. "Ease up. Captain Waters is right, after all. Few are on the same side, after all."

The Marines lowered their weapons, as did the ODSTs.

Hayes offered a hand to Waters, but she swatted it away. "Collect your men and get ready to head back to the I'm Alone. We'll have words on this later."


End file.
